Swing away tire parts!!

[Willman]

One thing to keep in mind with the hinges sold by rockstomper, AtoZ, etc., is that everything is riding on that one, single, point. If that pin fails, you lose your tire carrier. I have talked with half a dozen people who have had this happen...and was the primary reason I scrapped mine. (I always had visions of it falling off while going down the freeway...with both 5 gallon gas cans full....and with a schoolbus full of kids behind me.)

I prefer carriers with a minimum of three attachment points...two hinges and one latch. If one hinge fails, you still have something holding it on.

If you are not opening it all the time, I really like the latch pin that sar_squid posted. It might get annoying if you are constantly opening the tire carrier though....

Great point!

I have a pin, and a toggle clamp and 2 rubber spacers sharing the load!

works great!

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

I have been reading heavily about the swing out parts. The pin there is a trailer spindle, 1000 lb rated, fairly light duty and there have been reports of some breaking. I started doing research on heavier duty. Slee sold one at some point (not on their site any more) and 4x4labs sells a very stout version I think 3500lb rating at $90. This is what I would recommend for any heavilty loaded rack. For a regular rack with a 33 or less, the simple common 1000lb $45 splindle mentioned here is a fine option...

 

[The BN Guy]

Can these be cut to a shorter length with compromising structural integrity? The bumper where I want to possibly mount the hinge is only like three inches tall.

 

[BigAl]

The pictures that I've seen of the failure were cracks just above the weld on the top of the bumper. i don't think shortening the bottom would hurt anything

 

[Willman]

The pictures that I've seen of the failure were cracks just above the weld on the top of the bumper. i don't think shortening the bottom would hurt anything

Ditto....

Mine gate is not too heavy at all......Smaller spindle works great....I could see adding 2 gas cans could put it over the edge!

:chowtime:

 

[The BN Guy]

I, too, would probably go for two gates. That'd help some. But the weight of the 33 is what concerned me.

 

[Grim Reaper]

I, too, would probably go for two gates. That'd help some. But the weight of the 33 is what concerned me.

its all about the "moment arm".

1000lb sounds like a lot but look at how it is loaded on a trailer axle. It is always loaded in line with the bearings and it is mounted on a spring that is going to absorb the shock loads as it bounces down the road.

For the most part it has very little side loading.

A rack however is 100% side loaded all the time. A 70lb spare , 40lb of steel to hold it, a 35lb high lift and a 35lb or so of fuel hanging out on a 4ft lever on a 6 inch tall steel pin...You have a LOT of torque when you bounce down a rutted road. You are talking several hundred foot pounds of torque at regular intervals.


The farther you can space the hinges the easier time it will be to control the leverage.

 

[86cj]

I have a double shear style hinge on my KOZ offroad rear bumper. (Quiet and smooth w/no bearings)

If the spindles are known to break over time And a double shear is just as easy to build why risk it....

BTW.. I have a rockstomper spindle kit in the cabinet (a nice HD piece), but the "shoolbus story" is why.....